The League of Nations

Question 1

Aims of the League

Answer 1

Avoid aggression between nations
Facilitate disarmament
Improve living and working conditions globally
Enhance global co-operation through trade

Question 2

How was the League structured

Answer 2

The assembly
The council
The League of Nations Commissions 
The permanent court of justice
International Labour Organisation
The secretariat

Question 3

How the League maintained peace

Answer 3

Condemnation
Negotiation
Sanctions
Military

Question 4

Successes Commissions

Answer 4

The refugee committee- helped return refugees after WW1 (helped 1,5 million)
The slavery commission- worked to abolish slavery, freed 200,000 slaves
The health committee (1923)- tried to help with health and disease, banned lead paint, tried to abolish mosquitoes led campaign to prevent typhus and prevent addicts

Question 5

Failures Commissions

Answer 5

Disarmament Conference (1932)
Mandates commission- only one colony achieved independence

Question 6

Successes 1920s

Answer 6

Aaland Islands (1921)
Upper Silesia (1921)
Greece-Bulgaria (1925)

Question 7

Failures 1920s

Answer 7

Liberia
Vilna (1920)
Ruhr (1923)
Corfu (1923)
Geneva Protocol (1924)

Question 8

Effects of the Depression

Answer 8

USA- unwilling to give loans and refused to support sanctions that would hurt their economy
Germany- had to pay reparations alone, less trade, unemployment, people more willing to listen to the Nazi’s
France- built defence line ‘The Maginot Line’ against Germany
Italy- invaded Abyssinia to combat economic problems
Japan- Invaded Manchuria to combat economic problems
Britain- worried about domestic problems so unwilling to get involved in international issues.

Question 9

Manchuria

Answer 9

1. Japan invaded Manchuria
2. Lytton report condemns Japan 1 year later
3. Japan leaves LoN
4. Japan invaded Jehol

Question 10

Why did Japan invade Manchuria?

Answer 10

Chinese sabotaged South- Manchurian railway owned by Japanese
The area was rich in minerals and land for agriculture
To combat effects of the depression
Wanted to look strong for other countries
Growing Japanese population

Question 11

Why did the League fail in Manchuria?

Answer 11

Self-interest of members- Britain worried about damaging their trade routes
Structural weaknesses- didn’t have USSR or USA to pressure Japan, it took them a year to get the Lytton report
Fear of War- Japan was militarily powerful, league lacked army to defeat them
Depression- didn’t want to impose sanctions that would harm their economy

Question 12

Why did disarmament fail?

Answer 12

Effects of Depression
Britain allowed Germany to build ships up to 35% of Royal Navy
Rise in extremist Parties (eg. Mussolini)
Failure of LoN- no enforcer
Everyone was scared the other wasn’t going to disarm
Worried about alliances

Question 13

Abyssinia

Answer 13

Italy had lost to Abyssinia before (humiliating)
Wal-Wal (excuse)
Stressa Pact (promised to fight Germany with Italy)
Britain and France offered part of Abyssinia
LoN bans arm sales to Italy (too late)
Closed the Suez Canal (LoN)
Useless without Sanctions from USA
Hoare-Laval Pact –> leaked
US increases oil sales to Italy
LoN gave up

Question 14

Wal-Wal

Answer 14

Clash between Ethiopian and Italian forces

Question 15

External agreements that helped the League

Answer 15

The Washington conference (1921)
The Dawes Plan (1924)
Locarno Treaties (1925)
The Kellog-Briand Pact (1928)

Question 16

Why were the British and French reluctant to take action over Abyssinia

Answer 16

They wanted Mussolini as an ally against Hitler
Feared loss of jobs because of sanctions
Wanted to avoid another war
Russia (communism) was a growing problem

Question 17

Kellog-Briand Pact

Answer 17

65 nations agreed that peaceful negotiations would settle disputes
Led by Britain and France foreign ministers

Question 18

Washington Conference

Answer 18

1921
5 power treaty
France, Britain, USA 
Agreed to limit size of navy to each other
10 000 tons each

Question 19

Assembly

Answer 19

Central component
Admitted new members
Discussed Agenda
Financed budget 
Decisions had to be unanimous
Only met once a year

Question 20

Council

Answer 20

Settled disputes between members
Permanent members: Japan, Britain, France, Italy
Veto power (only permanent members)
Other members voted in by assembly
Germany permanent member 1926
5 times a year

Question 21

Why did Mussolini invade Abyssinia?

Answer 21

To achieve Fascist aims
Because of Depression
Knew Britain and France wouldn’t oppose him (needed him)
For Revenge

Question 22

Consequences of Abyssinia

Answer 22

Mussolini turned to Hitler
League of Nations was dead
Encouraged Germany to expand

Question 23

Why did LoN fail?

Answer 23

Self interest of members
Decisions were slow
Depression
Ineffective sanctions
Lack of new superpowers
Treaty of Versailles

Question 24

The Permanent Court of International Justice

Answer 24

Settled international disputed (border)
Based in The Hague, Netherlands
Gave legal advice to the council & the assembly
No way of making sure countries followed the rules

Question 25

The Secretariat

Answer 25

Civil service
Kept records of League meetings
Prepared reports for different agencies of the league
Section in secretariat covers: health, disarmament, economic matters

Question 26

The International Labour Organisation

Answer 26

Once a year
Aim was to improve working conditions
Tried to persuade countries to adopt suggestions

Question 27

The Mandates Commission

Answer 27

Specialists report on way colonies under Britain and France were being treated
Made sure Britain and France were acting in the interest of the colonies not their own

Question 28

The Refugee Committee

Answer 28

Tried to get refugees back to their own countries

Question 29

The Slavery Commission

Answer 29

Worked to abolish slavery

Some workers were treated like slaves but were not actually slaves

Question 30

The Health Committee

Answer 30

Developed programs to deal with dangerous diseases
Educate the world about health and sanitation
Collected statistics about health issues